Out of the Rabbit Hole
by DarkPhoenixForce
Summary: "I wonder if I've been changed in the night? . . . Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same . . . 'Who in the world am I'"-Alice in Wonderland Professor Xavier had a curious dream, and then he woke up. However, it seems the world has only gotten stranger since he stopped dreaming.
1. Chapter 1

Professor Xavier watched in terrified concern as his X Men went toe-to-toe with the deadly, specially trained Mutant Response Division. The force field traps the enemy had begun employing proved their effectiveness, as, one by one, his X Men were pinned down and captured.

The real horror, however, was only just to come, as, with a grim look, the commander of the M.R.D. gave the order to shoot to kill any remaining hostiles. "Too dangerous to be controlled peacefully," they would undoubtedly publish in the newspapers. Most of the major circulations were in the M.R.D.'s and other like group's pockets anyway. One more lie wouldn't be that much of a stretch to save face.

Xavier's attention was arrested by the sight of Wolverine, who was snarling and stabbing wildly at the enemy with his claws, take several quick shots to the chest and shoulder, falling to the ground with a 'thud'. Several tense seconds passed, but the man didn't rise again.

"Why isn't he getting up?" Xavier breathed, eyes straining for any sign of movement. "What could those bullets be made of that he . . . no, impossible. They couldn't have gotten ahold of a supply of . . . adamantium, surely?" Lifting a hand to his temple, he sent out a telepathic message to Cyclops.

"Scott? Come in, Scott. What's going on out there?" he thought urgently.

A report came a few seconds later, "Professor! We're . . . we're not . . . we can't hold them off much longer. They've already taken down some of the younger ones. It's like . . . I don't even know how to describe it. It's like our powers aren't working properly . . . or maybe they've just . . . gained some kind of protection against them . . . Professor, I've never . . . never seen anything like this . . . except. . ." Silence followed his broken report.

"Scott? Scott?! What's happened? Can you hear me?" Xavier repeated, almost frantically. No answer met his tense queries, no response came from the leader of the X Men. "Blast," Xavier muttered fiercely, raising his eyes to the battle once more. He had to get in there. Somehow, he had to help his team. If only there was a way to . . . . A new sound interrupted his thoughts.

"Professor?" a distant voice called earnestly, almost in a whisper. "Professor Xavier? Can you hear me? Please answer, Professor," the person repeated.

"Who . . . Wanda?" Xavier asked mentally, stunned. "Wanda? Is that . . . is that you? Where are you?"

The voice, which sounded unmistakably like that of his old friend's daughter, didn't answer his question. Instead, the words came again, pleading this time, "Professor . . . Professor, can you hear me?"

"Yes, yes, I can hear you," Xavier murmured, both aloud and in his mind. "Where are you, Wanda? What's wrong? Are you in danger? Please, speak to me. Let me help you."

Wanda's words oscillated in strength, fading, then growing louder, then fading again. "Professor," she called once more, "Professor, I need you to follow the sound of my voice."

"But _where are you_?" he pressed again, looking wildly around the surrounding area but seeing no sign of the Scarlet Witch. "Can you at least tell me that?"

"I'm here," she replied, almost eagerly. "I'm here, but, Professor . . . " she trailed off.

"What? What is it?" he asked worriedly.

"Professor, you _ha_ve _to wake up_."

The words echoed like a bolt of electricity throughout his body. All at once, the world went black.

"Wanda?" he muttered weakly, straining against the sickening sensation of falling. Dimly, he became aware of gentle sunlight brushing at his closed lids. With effort, he tried to open his eyes, the world once more coming into focus, both audibly, visibly, and otherwise. And then Professor Charles Xavier woke up.


	2. Chapter 2

Xavier's eyelids opened slowly, taking in the world around him. It took a moment for his head to stop spinning and his vision to clear. He was lying in some sort of hospital bed, hooked up to sundry faintly humming machines. Soft golden sunlight streamed in through the partially curtained window to his left. Without moving, he strained all of his senses, normal and mutant, trying desperately to determine his exact location, to understand _something _of his current predicament. A second passed, and then he suddenly heard a disappointed sigh to his right.

Cautiously turning his head, which felt as though it was made of weighty stone, he noticed a young, black haired woman perched in one of the standard, uncomfortable hospital chairs next to his bed.

Wanda. She hadn't noticed his eyes open, hadn't seen him move. Now, she was dejectedly flipping through an old and tattered book lying on her lap, without really paying attention to what she was reading. Xavier heard her murmuring faintly to herself under her breath, "Read the directions and directly . . ."

"You will be directed in the right direction," he murmured, finishing the quote from Lewis Carroll's famous children's novel.

Wanda smiled unconsciously to herself. "Yes, that's right. Oh how I loved this book when I was a child. I still do . . ." she trailed off, slowly raising her eyes to stare at him in shock. "Professor Xavier?" she whispered. "Professor Charles Xavier?"

Xavier nodded, speaking hesitantly, "Wanda, where am I? What's happened?"

The Scarlet Witch wasn't able to answer for a moment, still gazing at him, blue eyes filled with awe. It occurred briefly to Xavier that it had been awhile since he had seen her with long hair. He had never before noticed the natural red tints in her tangled locks. He had only ever seen the streaks with which she dyed her wild mane.

"Professor," she said, speaking as calmly as possible, "you've . . . been asleep for a very long time." She added, more to herself than to him, "I'm surprised you knew my name . . . you must have been thinking of Mother."

Xavier noted her strange words, asking with a frown, "What are you talking about? What do you mean, Wanda?"

The Scarlet Witch cast him a sympathetic look. "I know it must come as a shock," she started. "Oh . . . that's so cliché, I'm sorry, but it's true. You were . . . in an accident. You've been in a coma."

She abruptly ceased speaking as, with a gasp, the Professor struggled to rise. "What? How long?!"

"Nearly . . . nearly twenty years," the girl finished, biting her lip. Xavier stared at her in disbelief.

Wanda continued, "I . . . that's why I was surprised you knew me. Well, I mean, you went into a coma about two years before I was born, so we've never actually spoken. I guess you picked up my name over time from one of us visiting you here in the hospital. They say that people in a coma can sometimes hear others speaking to them . . . I suppose that's what happened. I'm sorry for having to cause you such a shock." Her words jumbled together in her hurry to speak. She finished by looking curiously at him, concerned, but almost triumphant for some reason.

Xavier swallowed, feeling his throat tighten with amazement. He managed to gasp weakly, "But . . . that's impossible!"

The girl shook her head. "No, it's the truth. You were badly injured in a fight with rogue mutants. The doctors were surprised that you actually survived, and . . . you saved my father's life. Thank you for that," she replied.

Xavier looked intently at her, attempting to scan her mind for information. To his surprise, he found nearly unbreakable mental barriers in place. "Wanda," he began cautiously, "how is it your mind is shielded? Forgive me, but I had to verify what you were saying. It's just so . . . unexpected."

Wanda shook her head, stating, "It's fine, Professor. Here, I'll lower the barriers."

Xavier studied her curiously. "But," he insisted, "You're not a telepath. I don't understand how you managed . . . ."

Wanda nodded, "Right, but I control probability. Miss Frost and I had a theory that I could "hypothetically" assume certain telepathic qualities by manipulating chance, enough to erect certain wards around my consciousness. The theory actually came about because she noted my ability to interfere with other mutants' powers. It's proved quite useful actually."

Xavier swiftly scanned her mind, detecting no surface lie, before asking, "Miss Frost? Do you mean _Emma_ Frost?"

"Yes, that's the one," the girl replied. In answer to his confused look, "I attend her boarding academy. Also, she's something of a family associate."

Xavier pondered this information. "What about the X Men," he asked. "What's become of them?"

The girl's baffled stare sent chills through his body. Her next words confirmed his new and terrible fears, as, tilting her head to the side, she inquired, "What's an . . . X Man?"


End file.
